Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-11-18
MISS BLACRTHWAITES DIAMONDS.

fNOlAN o'Eh AOis iOlh Ntlt NUM-
Tor stealing. Proved guilty. after a
careless fashion. which would bring
Judge Lynch TO his feet for the benefit
OF the court, were it practised now
they were strung up without mercy,
and not half the fuss was made about
Inc execution of a woman who had
stolen loaf of bread that would be
made now over the execution of n
Wholesale poisoner or the midnight
assassin of women and children. No
(ualms OF conscience were felt, and all
believed that, capital punishment done
away with. no ones property would be
safe an hour
Consequently when Miss Black
thwaite lost her diamonds the fact that
any one might be suspected was very
nervous thought to her household.
Or course Major Blackthwaite her
brother, and her friend, Miss Whit
more. who vas on visit at the house.
were out of the question, but there
were the servants, one, at least quite
new to the cstabl shment, and oddly
enough, every one of them had, TO the
knowledge of every one else, been in
the room where The diamonds were
lett between the moment when she had
known them TO be safe and the one
when she had missed them.
Miss Blackthwate had come home.
from the country bali woefully tired,
quite worn out, for she was delicate
Little creature, who could not bear as
much dancing as some women can, and
had undressed herself in hurry and
just wrapped herself in her white night
gown, when the wind, which was high
that night, sent sharp blast through
window-frame not Oyer-tightlv set.
and nirted the curtain with the candle. !
HE consequence was connagration |
on small scale. Miss Blackthwaite |
rushed out screaming. Her brother |
ana the servants rushed in. Buckets |
OF water We're thrown on The flames
and noise enough made TO shame a
New York fire company of the oden
time. Finally the fire was eXtineuish-
ed, and the lady returned to her y How.
In the morning her diamonds were
gone.
She remembered having put them in
certain box upon her dressing table.
intending to close and lock it before
ret ring. She had not done so, for in
her terror She had forgotten all about
the jewels, and they had either been
lost or stolen.
1t was ~ cock when she awoke.
and her window was vide open. But
1t was too far from the ground for any
one to have obta ned entrance in that
way And At first Major Blackthwaite.
who would not suspect his servants of
dis Hnesty, declared that Ruth must
have had them in her hand and put
them down somewhere, or that they
had been thrown upon the floor BIZ ac-
cident Therefore, search was made
in the room itself in all the halls. in
the majors room. TO which his sister
had first flown for aid, in Miss Whit I
more's, and, in fact. everywhere where ;
there was any possibility of their hay
ing concealed themselves in that odd
fashion which would almost convince
one that 'fnanimate objects" could en- |
JOY the anxiety and tr,bulations of 9
their posSessors and malciously plav /
at hide-and seek.
But, in this case, the missing objects q
were not found concealed i'm any crack J
or crevice, or under any rug, or behind v
any heavy article Of furniture, or in J
pocket or lining or shoe. In fact, af- C
ter careful search of three mortal {
days, 1T was determined that they were
stolen. And, if stolen, that one of the a
servants must be the culprit There t
fore, Major Blackthwaite walked into il
The kitchen with very solemn counte- Fl
nance and called tho servants about b
him. f.
Good people" he said, Miss C.
has lost her diamonds. q
You all know we have made fair "
search, and they are not to be found. n
They must be stolen. and though hate o
o suspect my servants. and am as kind e,
master rs YOU know. | think, what W
I'M TO do? You must all be searched
every one Of you'll make no excep- @,
ions. l shall send for a constable and Il
ave the matter investigated. / hope q
will prove your honesty; l sincerely p
Iope 1t, friends.
There was dead silence when the in
major had done speaking and faces tr
rev dark and angry. and teeth were j,
ct and eyes were turned suspiciously NJ
pon each other, aud when the major m
ad left the kitchen the wrath broke into d.
storm of spluttering Welsh. al
Indignation reigncd supreme. til
Cot does hur think us thevesP" ii,
clled old John-ap John, the coach w
ian. Search us-what does hur th
ieanr' an